LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Weeks after Easter, Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary in Las Vegas tells FOX5 they are seeing an increase in dumped ducks.
It is potentially putting the rest of their bird population at risk.
“The calls are desperate trying to find homes for their pets,” said executive director, Jennifer Langford.
FOX5 met four ducks that were recently dropped off at the sanctuary by their owners who could not take care of them anymore. Langford said calls for dropping off ducks come in daily.
“I’ve already had to tell people, ‘No I’m at my max right now,’ as far as being able to quarantine them safely,” Langford said.
She said the big reasons for folks dropping off their ducks is that they did not realize they could not keep them in their neighborhood.
“They do feel bad,” she said.
We have seen panic buying in the last couple of months with high egg prices, and residents have gone straight to the source by buying chicks and ducks.
“I do get frustrated because a lot of these feed stores don’t check if people can have them in our neighborhood and make sure these animals are safe because these feed stores can’t take them back,” Langford said.
Another worry for Langford is the bird flu as her sanctuary is wide open. She can’t control the birds that fly in and make themselves at home.
But she can control how many ducks she accepts from owners who can’t care for them anymore.
“It’s hard because they are frustrated that we can’t take them in, as a nonprofit they feel like we should be able to take in every animal and it wouldn’t be responsible for me to take in as many animals as possible because I have to make sure what we have here is safe and taken care of and meet their needs,” Langford said.
Langford advises to think twice before getting a duck, as they may be cute when they are ducklings but you should consider how big they get and that they need a pond to thrive.
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